What was Lost
by BethanyTheStar
Summary: "Nothing that happens is ever forgotten, even if you cant remember it." Follow along on your torturous journey in a breathtaking world which knows no bounds and no mercy, on a quest for answers to find what was lost once and for all.
1. Chapter 1: Lost

**I do not own Spirited Away, I am not receiving any income by writing fan fiction.**

_It is in our darkest moment, that we must focus to see the light._

** Aristotle.**

The first thing I remembered was the sensation of a warm breeze brushing my cheek. I tried to open my eyes but the light was so brilliant it made my vision blur. Groaning, I rubbed my eyes trying to message the aching sleep from them. I have to think, what happened? Why am I here? how did I even get here? My mind was filled with questions I can't answer, but Why can't I remember anything at all? I sat up slowly feeling my stomach protest making me grimace. Glancing down I noticed that I'm wearing a blue hospital gown closed tightly in the back. I'm in a field of tall gold grass stretched for miles in all directions. The only thing I can see is a large forest in the distant horizon.

"What the hell?" I whispered in disbelief. I don't know where I am, is this some kind of cruel joke? How will I get home? Then a startling fact popped into my mind, what is home? I don't remember where I live! This was turning into a nightmare I desperately wanted to wake up from. Puzzled, I began contemplating the possibilities, maybe I was drugged and put out here? Was I so wasted I ran to this field from a hospital and passed out? No that's not possible, I would remember where my house is at least! Or my name...oh god, I don't know my own name? I should be able to remember my name shouldn't I?

_'I'm see through!' _What was that? Spinning around, I thought I heard someones voice! I looked over the field and eventually came to the conclusion that no one was there. I'm growing desperate for answers, despite the circumstances I wont get anything done by sitting here. Its time to move, maybe I can find someone who can help me. I tried to get up too fast and my legs wobbled until they failed, causing me to tumble back on my ass again. I never realized how incredibly tired my body was, why am I so sore? '_Help! I can't get up!'_ looking again to find the owner of the voice was none existent. The voice is just another question I'll have to find the answer to... Slowly I tried again trying to find my balance, eventually I succeeded. My best hope was that small forest in the distance, every other direction is just miles and miles of gold the same field.

That's how my long journey for the truth began, tripping over myself on weak legs in a strange blue hospital gown towards only god knows where. I'd say it was almost an hour before I finally reached the forest. It's dark and much colder here, covered in cooling shade provided by leafy branches and foliage above. There was no wind, and the only signs of life where the small animals scampering into burrows and across the green canopy. I don't have shoes, but I do have warm socks that are easy to get wet walking across the moist Forrest floor. I started to become desperate for civilization, my hopes raised when I caught sight of a small cottage.

"Hello? Is anyone home?" I knocked on the large wooden door and waited, no one answered. My heart sank when no one came to answer the door, I peered into the nearest dusty window, it's exactly what I feared, this cottage is abandoned._ 'Why on earth should I give you a job?'_ A woman's voice echoed in my mind, it must have been a memory...it would explain the weird voices I'm hearing, but I can't place who the voice belongs too. '_Go! Ill distract them!'_ A mans voice this time...

"I'm going insane." I whispered in disbelief, these voices I keep hearing must be flashbacks of people I can't remember anymore. Anyone would think I'm completely of my rocker if I told them I can hear voices in my head, but I'm not crazy...right? Great, now I'm starting to doubt my own sanity, nothings going right today. I tried to open the door but it ended up falling flat on the floor, kicking up a large pile of dust on its way down that was easy to choke on. My own curiosity got the better of me as I ventured into the cottage. It was easy to see that it has been abandoned for quite some time. Furniture was covered with large white sheets to preserve them over time, spider webs attached to every painting and corner, cracks in the walls, carpets stained with water, broken windows and everything is coated in a thick layer of dust. I flipped over a picture table and had the image of a happy family smiling at me.

It seems this place was abandoned in a hurry, many personal possessions have been left behind such as jewelry, wallets, and fine china. what happened here? Roaming the cottage I passed a large mirror, cracked somewhat, but it was still large enough to see my clear reflection. I look like the walking dead, my long brown hair is a complete mess, with twigs and leaves caught in the matted mess. There was nothing I could do with it accept pull out any debris I found twisted in the tangles the very pale with dark bags underneath my eyes. I should really get going, there was no point being here anymore. It was time for me to press on, luckily I found a pair of flat shoes by the fallen front door, they were pink but this was no time to be picky, I'm just lucky I found a pair of shoes. The last thing I grabbed from that small cottage was a brown bag I found hanging on a coat rack which I could carry things in if I needed it.

Leaving the cottage I headed north in search of civilization. I traveled for hours through the thick forest, birds chirping loudly in the canopy, leaves crunched under my every step and hunger was getting the best of me. I tried to distract myself by trying to recall the event that put me here. First I don't know my name, second I don't remember where I live, and lastly I don't know where I am or how I got here. I must have amnesia... That's it! I have amnesia! Finally something makes sense! Even though it doesn't help the situation I'm in it still feels good to have at least one answer to my problems. However I have a new question, how did I get amnesia? Fuck this is ridiculous, I'm tired of being stranded out here!

I traveled for hours, loosing all hope when the sun started to fall out of the sky and it began to get dark. It seems I've walked an entire day and I still haven't seen any signs of civilization. There's no point trying to navigate in the dark the forest is definitely thick and I might end up going in a big circle till I pass out from exhaustion. This isn't the time to waste energy, I'll need all I can get for the morning. With the last licks of sunlight starting to dance with the stars I gathered as many pieces of wood and large leaves as possible and made a small place rest on for the night. The longer I sat the more tired I became, I was definitely hungry and I just wanted to be home already, but I don't even know where 'home' is. Feeling pathetic I curled myself into a ball started to cry miserably.

Who knows how long I'll be out here alone wandering around aimlessly. Wiping the heavy tears off my cheeks I'm trying not to panic, however I'm so vulnerable to the elements it was hard not too, I may end up freezing to death out here in the middle of the night... I chose to focus on the exotic display of beauty the sunset provided, it filled the sky with a dazzling arrangement of different colors. Pinks, blues, reds, and yellows comforted my shaky nerves. Suddenly I was hit with a sudden, strong, warm gust of wind whipping my hair behind me and sweeping fallen leaves off the ground. The gust lasted only mere moments, it was strange because it feels like it came from no where. I thought my mind was playing tricks on me again when I began to hear faint music? No, it can't be...I'm the only person out here, right? I brushed off the thought thinking that not only am I lost, but I'm completely delusional as well! Chuckling to myself I was surprised to hear the music begin to get louder! Impossible! Could there really be other people out here? I left my spot to see where the music was coming from, if there's music then there MUST be people!


	2. Chapter 2: Hunted

My heart's pounding hard in my chest, following the music I honestly had no idea what to expect when I will arrive at the source. Maybe I will find some friendly folks who would be willing to help a girl out? Then again it might be coming from something completely opposite. I better watch my step and not make any poor decisions that could jeopardize my health. I eventually came upon a clearing. Pushing past the thick foliage to get a closer look. I ducked behind a bush to gain some cover, I glanced over the top to see what looked like a festival! Bright red ceremonial lanterns hung from the trees, the music was upbeat and vibrant, the smell of delicious food was thick in the air making my stomach growl and reminding me how hungry I was, there were tiny shops lined up on both sides of a clearing, yet no shop owners. The best part was there were people! It appeared a whole crowd gathered to share this memorable event together, some more formally dressed then others. There are so many but they didn't exactly look like people, more like mannequins fixed in place. Weird.

Something's wrong, despite seeing all the people I can't hear any voices. No talking, laughing, not even coughing, nothing! Just the sound of traditional music, besides the gentle melody playing there wasn't any other sound. It's very creepy, I don't understand what's going on, but I have to try something! This is the first sign of civilization that I've seen all day! I decided to make my presence known and take a leap of faith by stepping out of the bushes and into the clearing.

Coming out from behind the bushes I walked up to the closest man near me and reached out to tap his shoulder gently.

"Excuse me, sir?" I was shocked when instead of making physical contact my hand when through his arm like he was made of air! "W…what?!" I stood frozen with fear, my perception of reality is completely blown out of proportion now. He turned around to look me in the eye, but instead it was just the dark shadowy formation of a head made of smoke sitting atop what were supposed to be shoulders covered by a large torn coat. "Oh God!" I screamed in terror, every dark faceless figure in the area turned sharply to look at me. I felt like small prey being eyed down by predators looking for an easy snack. I ran, barreling over rocks and leaves in no specific direction , looking back I saw the ghost like figures following hot on my trail. Floating over the path like it was nothing. I tripped on a root and skinned both my knees on the way down. It was useless, I accepted my fate of being brutally mutilated by a crowd of shadow people. Closing my eyes prepared for the worst to come. Surprisingly, a few moments had passed without any terrible bloodshed, that's weird I swore they were right on top of me! I'm frightened to open my eyes so I peeked through the cracks of my fingers instead. I saw their outlines with their arms extended to grab me, but they weren't moving?

They're….they're paralyzed?! _'Get up'_ I heard the voice of a man say, thinking it was just the voice in my head again I stared at the strange display of the faceless entities, their jaws wide open showing rows of jagged rotten teeth. I was taken aback when someone very real actually stepped in front of me and offered their hand out. I looked up at the owner of the hand to see a man with blonde hair, and brown eyes looking down at me. "What are you waiting for? Get up!" My mind slipped into a blissful ignorance, I don't know what to say, or what to think anymore. Everything became a blurr.

"NOW! Hurry! Before it wears off!" He pointed at the horrific crowd behind him, yanked my hand up forcing me to stand and led me running through the thick trees bobbing and weaving over and around different obstacles.

The only thing I could hear was the pounding of my own heart and my deep panicked breathing. My legs burned running my arms so tired the only thing keeping me going was the man leading me. I had absolutely no energy left, and I could still feel the crowd's eyes on the back of my head._ 'Come on! Wake up!_' Life moved in slow motion _'there must be some mistake'_ I started to slip away into my own little world, a world where I was at home in bed warm, safe and well fed._ 'Wipe that smile off your face!'_ My happy little moment swirled into a hurricane of flashbacks, voices screamed in my head. _'What a pretty name….and it belongs to me now.' 'Are you going to eat me?' 'I promise I'll be back'_

"Hey! Can you hear me? Say something!" The blonde man held my exhausted form on a stone path, I have no idea when we stopped running.

'_You're the most pathetic little girl I've ever seen'_

"Please, make them stop."

'_Whatever you do don't look back!'_

"Who? Make who stop doing what?" he asked

That's the last thing I remember before I fell into the darkness of my own consciousness, I heard one final voice of an older woman comforting me.

_'In that case its easy! Nothing that happens is ever forgotten even if you can't remember it'_


	3. Chapter 3: Little Bird (part 1)

"Hey, can't you hear me little bird?" A voice spoke sweetly to me. What happened? Where am I? I opened my eyes slowly, not sure what to expect. I really have to stop waking up like this. "How are you feeling? You had a nasty fall back there." A bright eyed blonde with a big smile was looking down at me.

"What…what happened?" I croaked out. "I was hoping you could tell me, you were almost a goner. What were you doing out there? Are you insane or just stupid?" The memories started to come back, pained to realize that it wasn't just a terrible nightmare. I'm still stranded in the wilderness, but now I have a savior I suppose. He's right, he's the only reason I'm alive. "Thank you." I said. "It's nothing, if I was you I'd be praying for someone as handsome as me to come to my rescue too!" He chuckled, but I didn't think it was funny.

"If you want to thank me you can start by telling me your name." He held put an arm around my shoulders to help support me to sit up. "I…don't know."

"You don't know?" He asked confused. "Who are you?" I asked "Why are you helping me?" He seems to be friendly enough, but I don't know anything about him. "Well I guess we should get acquainted hmm? For starters, my name is Makoto, I'm one of the three head messengers…" "A messenger? A messenger for whom?"

"Wow! You certainly are full of questions little bird. I didn't even finish! I am the lead messenger for the Jasmine Empire, I was running my daily routes when I saw 'The Stray' go on the hunt after something, and that something turned out to be someone." He poked my collarbone, gesturing that I was that 'someone' he's mentioning.

"The 'Stray'? What's a Stray?" Nothing about today makes sense.

"Well, a 'stray' is an expired soul that has wondered so long looking for its 'purpose' that it eventually lost its way in this world and in the end, lost itself entirely. They can't move-on to the next life, but they don't belong in this one either, they are eternally trapped in-between and become a shadow of both." Makoto explained. I let this new information sink in, so those things that chased me were lost souls without purpose? "Why can't they move on?" "Good question, some say it's because they don't know how, and others say because they did something so sinful in life that took away the privilege of eternal rest, I guess you actually have to be one to know the real answer." "Why are they so aggressive?" I asked.

"Well little bird, you see when you become lost for as long as they have you begin to lose your mind of what is real and what isn't, but natural instinct tells them to find a way out. However, they cannot do so without a living body." "So they were trying to…possess me?" "Not you, your body." He corrected. "If they did possess my body, what would happen to me? My soul?" "Who knows! Maybe you would be trapped, maybe your soul would be pushed out and doomed to roam, and maybe you would become a stray yourself! I don't know."

"Why did they stop moving like that?" Makoto seems to know allot about this place, maybe he can help me find a way out of here…maybe. He walked over to a nearby stump of a fallen tree and placed his pack besides it before he sat in front of it to lean against the oak wood. He lifted his arms behind his head to stretch out to a more comfortable position. I decided to walk to his position to also lean against the stump. "It's a spell, a holding spell to be exact, it's temporary, but it provides some good cover, easy to cast too. Lucky for you I was in the area or you would be one of them by now little bird" "What?! Do you mean a magic spell?" "All spells are magic! What other types of spells are there?" he exclaimed, it's all starting to come together now, I've obviously been flung into some kind of sick fairy tale! My head is spinning with the endless possibilities of how I might have gotten here.

"Now I have a question for you, little bird. Why are you dressed like that? Are you a slave or something?" I looked down at my hospital gown and stupid pink shoes. "What? No! I'm not anyone's slave!" I said defensively. "Then what is it?" he tugged on the tie string on my shoulder, I shrugged him off. "It's a hospital gown I guess." I answered truthfully. "Hos-pi-tall?" He tested how the word tasted rolling off his tongue. "Never heard of him, you're not from around here are you?" He pointed out. I nodded. "What are you even doing out here?" His brows pushed together in confusion.

"Why should I trust you?" I glared at him, he's starting to get annoying. "Well, why should I trust you? For all I know you could be a cute little trap." He asked back raising one brow. I really don't know how to respond to that. "I guess neither of us knows if we can trust each other, and yet we are sitting here, talking things out anyway." He said "If we meant each other harm we would have done something to each other by now hmm?" He made a sly closed mouth smirk. I guess he does have a point, but I should still be cautious none the less. "I guess so, it's just I feel like I've been trying to find my way out forever yet nothing makes sense and I've gotten nowhere. I'm so tired it's starting to get to my head…" I rubbed my tired eyes and looked at the stars peeking between the trees. He slouched to look at my face "I know how you feel, it shows in your scent." "What? My scent, really?"

"Of course! Scent is pretty much the basics of communication after all, everyone knows that." "You can see my scent?" I'm confused. "Well no I can't see your scent, I can read it. What you can't read scents?" "Um, no I've never been able to read scents. I don't think I've meet anyone who can." "My sense of smell isn't that great, it's because I'm just a half-bred. My mother's Okami, but my father was a human. If I was full Okami I would be able to pick up auras too…"

"Wait! You're not human?!" What the fuck is going on with my life right now? He burst into laughter. "My! What a silly little bird you are, of course I'm not! Living humans haven't set foot in this world for centuries! You really thought I was human?" he couldn't hold back the chuckles. "But, I'm human!" I pointed to myself. "Hmmm." He inhaled deeply "you don't smell like a human." He shrugged.


	4. Chapter 3: Little Bird (part 2)

"I don't?" I mumbled, he caught what I said though because he nodded.

"It's sad but humans don't have a place here in the spirit realm, ones that accidentally enter this world lose their way easily, usually the only solid thing that grounds them here is eating some food, but its punishable by the High lords to tell humans to eat if they don't want to disappear at nightfall, it's a strange rule, but I guess it's a regulation to keep all human population out and under control or let them die off. However if they do eat then they wander around until their short lifespan expires then they eventually turn into the stray. I guess I have a soft spot for humans since it's in my blood."

"The stray were humans?!" "Yes! Wow are you clueless?" I looked away, I could feel tears stinging my eyes threatening to fall heavily. "Thank you for your help Makoto, but I have to find a way home now." I slowly tried to stand. I'm getting out of here, I need some space to think. I almost fell on my ass again but he was quick to stand and support my arm before I fell.

"Hey, I didn't mean that." He could probably smell the sadness in my scent too. "Look it's nothing personal, I've just been through allot the past couple of days, I don't know how much more I can take." He nodded in reply "I can be inconsiderate sometimes." He said, I pulled myself together, I can't afford to lose my shit now. "I think you're just lost, do you know where you're headed? I can help, as a messenger I know allot about these parts" He asked. "Being half Okami has its perks you know, I'm born to roam the outdoors so navigation comes easily." He smiled again I shook my head 'no' and looked up at him. "So you don't know where you're going, and you don't know your name. Where did you even come from? Let me guess, you don't know that either?" He stated, shit I didn't want to give away so much about myself, I still don't know if I can fully trust Makoto or not and it puts me in a vulnerable position.

"Hmm, sounds like you've been through hell." I chuckled. "Feels that way…" Just then our conversation was interrupted by my growling stomach, the adrenaline has long since warn off and I was beginning to feel the exhaustion of using so much energy. "You're hungry? Have you eaten anything today?" "No, I haven't…" He pulled his pack in front of him and dug through it before pulling out a small loaf of bread. "Here! Take this, I was saving it for later but I think you need it more than I do." He held it out; I was reluctant to take it from him though.

"How do I know it isn't poisoned?" He smiled and laughed at my question. "You don't, here we'll split it. If I pass on then you know it's no good. Deal?" "O…Okay." I REALLY wanted that bread, but I can't be careless. It seemed fair enough to split it. He ripped it in half and handed me the larger piece. He began eating his part, I waited a few minutes to see if he was having any kind of bad reaction to it.

It was clear the bread wasn't hazardous so I started nibbling on the soft loaf. Bread has never tasted so damn good in my life! I don't know much about this guy but he sure was getting on my good side. "Hey if anything this proves that you aren't human, live humans who don't eat within their first hour fade away." I remembered the voices in my head earlier, one voice was a little girl saying 'I'm seeing through'. Weird, it seems to be connected to what Makoto was saying. Is she human? Did I know her? Have I been here before? My thought processes was interrupted by a light nudge on my shoulder.

Makoto was handing me some folded clothes. "Here, it's my spare change, I always come prepared. Get dressed you look like a harlot." He placed them on my lap, it was a simple long-sleeved white shirt and some dark pants to go along with it. I turned to look at him, "thank you, for everything." He tensed and ran a hand through his shaggy hair.

"No problem." He replied, I smiled and walked behind a close tree to get dressed.

"Do you have a job?" He asked from afar, I slipped off the shoes to put the dark pants on. "Um, no. Do people usually have jobs in the 'spirit world'?" "Well yeah, it's the one thing that keeps spirits like us sane and protected, it gives us usefulness on solid ground so we have a chance to find ourselves and cannot be cast out to our doomed fate like the stray." There was a moment of silence, I wasn't really sure how to react to that state meant.

"Where can I find a job around here?" I asked. "Well you can come with me on my routes if you like, you can be my assistant…" He suggested. "I guess that's alright, it's not like I have any other option now." I stepped out from behind the tree. "How do I look?" "It's way too big." He chuckled. "I'm not exactly tall now am I" I said sarcastically, I stand at a mediocre 5'5, and he was obviously over 6. "You look like a little kid in those clothes, it's cute." I giggled. "Don't underestimate what this child can do, I bet I could take you on." I said playfully, his attitude helped me get in a better mood, it was nice to have some fun after a day full of hell on earth.

"I'm sure you can little bird. Well as my new assistant, I say let's get a move on! I have been assigned to deliver a message from the Jasmine Palace to the lord of the northern bathhouse, and I would have by now if I hadn't run into you little bird. He's definitely expecting our delivery by now, but we can go slowly if you don't feel well O.K.?" He stood and slipped his pack over his shoulder.

"How long will it take?" I asked

"We'll be there before nightfall."

I guess that means I'm on my way to a bathhouse.

* * *

><p>AN: Hello everyone! I just wanted to say that I had a blast writing this chapter. This first time two main characters meet in this story, and it was a ton of fun brainstorming, writing, and editing this chapter several times over. It ended up being twice in size so I just went ahead and split it into two parts to keep the chapters even.

Thanks for reading, let me know what you think so far!

Have a wonderful day!


	5. Chapter 4: Gods

"Geez I'm starting to think you really are human." Makoto said

"Really? What makes you say that?" I asked

"Because you're slow as hell." He replied jokingly. We've been traveling all afternoon towards this mysterious bathhouse Makoto keeps talking about. "You didn't say we'd be traveling uphill!"I said "You didn't say you'd be complaining the whole trip!" he said back. Makoto has been helping me through the more physically demanding parts of the trip since I'm still pretty week from the trauma last night. He's starting to remind me of the older brother I've never had. The kind of older brother who likes to pester and tease his younger siblings, half for fun, and half just because he can. I quickly learned that he can be stubborn at times, but overall he's very friendly. At first I wasn't sure what to think of him, but now I can see that I was defiantly lucky to run into him last night, or he ran into me rather. I still cant believe he cast a holding spell, that just seems something too outrageous to be true.

"So Makoto…" I said, he stopped momentarily to look back at me. "Tell me about your parents." He took a moment to think about that that statement, he must have felt a little taken aback since it wasn't really a question. His parents seem to be a sensitive subject for him, why?

"What would you like to know?" He asked and continued down the path in front of me. "Well, you said that you're a half breed right? How does that even happen, no offense of course, but it just seems like something that doesn't usually happen right? Or does it?" He chuckled at my rant.

"Well little bird, even though it isn't a very common thing for a pure bred and a human to mate, that doesn't mean it can't happen. My mother loved to wander the human world even though at the time it was forbidden to make contact. She said it made her feel like she was truly free in the human world. She told the story of how one day she was hunting out of bounds and looked for a catch on a farm far west from here. Instead she ended up being the hunted and got caught in a trap. A human man, a 'trapper' came along to check his traps and that's how my parents met."

"Wait so the trappers your dad? Wouldn't he be scared to find a live wolf in his trap?"

"He would have been if she looked like a wolf, because my mother was full bred she is able to take on a human form. I cannot take on a second form since my human half is too weak to do so."

"Wait pure bred? I thought you said she was a spirit, does that mean she's a pure bred spirit?"

"Well let me put it this way, there are three types of known species around here which fit into three separate categories around here. Humans, Spirits, and Gods. Anything that isn't a God or a human is basically put under the 'spirit' category, if that makes sense."

"There are gods around here?" Gods really? This is bigger than I thought.

"Yes, but only a few. It can take millenniums to earn the title of 'God', it's a great deal of leadership and responsibility which isn't for just anyone. Some have to earn it, others are just bred for the right." Makoto explained. We walked in silence for a while before coming to a hill. He went first, he zigzagged up the hill no problem in record time and set his pack aside to turn around and reach out a hand down for me to grab on to so he could help support me up while I tried to climb up the steep edge. Makoto can be a prick, but he never hesitates to help me during physically demanding times on our trip.

"Here we are!" He held out his arms wide open as if he were trying to hug the village. We weren't far at all, I'd say it's a 5 minute walk from where we were standing. It didn't look like the village Makoto explained at all. "It's abandoned?" I said my thoughts out-loud. He chuckled. "Is it now? Are you sure?" He led me down a small trail through the large grassy field. With sculptures sticking out jaggedly from the ground "I think so, I mean there isn't anyone here." "Oh they're here alright. You must not be a pure bred, otherwise you'd be able to pick up the occupation though genetic hypersensitive nerves. I'm a half breed, but I can still pick up the slight tingle of spirits in the area." Makoto said.

"So your not human, your not God, and your not pure bred." Makoto thought ou-tloud.

"I know I'm human!" I said, Makoto isn't convinced. "You can't be, humans have a distinctive smell around here. Since there really aren't that many around, human smell isn't hard to distinguish, you'll know it when you smell it."

"What do humans smell like then?"

"They stink."

"Oh. So does that means you think I smell nice?" I teased, he reached back to mess up my hair, I took that as a 'yes' we continued along our path quietly for a few moments before I decided to break the silence.

"So you said that there are definitely spirits, but why can't I see any?" I asked

"You can't see any because Sprits are fueled by moonlight or course. The moon is the very heart and soul of spiritual energy, making it impossible for spirits to solidify in sunlight. Since you are still visible tells me that you can't be a pure spirit. Will figure out what you are sooner or later little bird." He pondered on that thought for a moment while we make the last few steps before arriving in the small village. He stopped to stand beside me and pointed in front of us. "Look, here's the homes where the community resides mostly" He then pointed in another direction. "And if we keep heading down here then we will end up in the village square, where the bathhouse resides." It seemed easy enough.

"Hey Makoto?" I asked

"Hmm?"

"What happens when we reach the bathhouse? Are we going to leave a message in a mailbox and just leave?" I asked, he laughed at my comment.

"Silly bird, that's not how it works." We began to see more and more shops and restaurants instead of small homes.

"We need to formally present it to the lord of the bathhouse. Now remember, this is a royal parchment from the Jasmine Emperor himself so we need to make a good impression. Since we are his messengers we represent the Jasmine palace during the delivery. You should know that this isn't just any lord that we are delivering too. This is one of the most respected pure breds in this land, so we must show our regards okay?" he further explained.

"So, this lord that we are seeing. He's Okami?"

"What makes you say that?"

"Because he's a pure bred right?" He practically threw his head back and laughed whole heartedly.

"You're such an innocent little bird."

"Why do you keep calling me that?" I'm starting to get frustrated.

"Well I'm sorry, but you're the one who doesn't know your real name! You look like a 'little bird' to me." He smiled at me and gave a wink. His wink made my heart flutter a little, but I thought nothing of it. "Do you want me to call you something else?"

"Well, no actually. I guess little bird is fine." He's right, I really don't know my name so if he had to call me something I prefer 'little bird' to something ugly or insulting.

"O.K. I'm glad you like it, now to answer your other question. No, not all pure breds are okami, pure breds could be any creature on the planet. However, what makes this lord special is his heritage."

"What's his heritage?" I asked

We passed a line of shops and eventually came across a large clock tower in-front of a bridge which lead to an impressive structure which had to be the bathhouse.

"He's a dragon."


	6. Chapter 5: The Arrival

"That's Incredible! How are supposed to talk to a dragon though, do we have to feed it to gain its trust?" Honestly, I'm slowly beginning to like it here, this is a world filled with twists and turns, it seems like it's hard for anything to ever be boring. I mean dragons? Come on! This is too crazy to be true, but it totally is! If there are more people who are kind and patient like Makoto out there. Then it can't be all bad can it? Even though it's exciting, I can't stay here forever though. I had to come from somewhere, I couldn't have just appeared out of thin air right? I wonder if I have a family, am I married, am I in school? Is someone out there missing me?

"He's not always a dragon. He's a certain class of dragon that has the incredibly rare ability to shape shift. Most pure breeds have the ability to take on a human form by choice, dragons are the same way since they are a breed, so most likely he will take on a human form to talk to us." We walked up the stone steps to the bridge.

"Look little bird! The sun is setting so things are about to get interesting." He said.

"Does that mean 'The Stray' are coming?! We need to get out of here!" I asked paniced, I really didn't want a repeat of yesterday.

"Don't fret, the stray are actually incredibly hard to find around here, but somehow you managed to find a shit ton. Looks like you're a walking hazard, but don't worry. With a big, strong, and handsome guardian like me around everything will be fine." He smirked.

"Oh so now you're 'the handsome guardian'?" We laughed whole heartedly together, Makoto definitely knows how to lighten the mood. He stopped when we came to the bridge.

"Bow with me." He said and leaned forward to bow deeply and I copied him.

"Why?"

"This is where the rich come to bathe and replenish themselves. As foreigners we must show our respects, make sure to take off your shoes when we get inside okay?" I nodded we began to cross the bridge as the sun settled to our left. As it got darker the lights and lamps lit up.

"Did you see that?" I asked gesturing to the lights.

"Yes, that's normal. It's almost time for business so the light the lamps to guide guests to the bathhouse. It gets insanely busy at night."

Before my eyes dozens of strange creatures solidified out of thin air around us and walked besides us on the long bridge without a glance. I shrieked in surprise and instinctively grabbed onto Makoto's arm. He chuckled at my surprise. "Their…they've…what's happening?!" I spluttered out, not sure what to think about this. One moment we are walking alone on a bridge, and the next we are suddenly surrounded by an appearing crowd all heading to the bathhouse together.

"Hard to believe they've been here the entire time huh little bird? They can be seen now because the moon is giving them incredible energy to solidify. We probably should have come earlier before the guests arrived." We crossed the bridge and were greeted by short stubby men with huge heads who looked like toads and long shapeless women who resembled slugs.

"Welcome! Welcome all!" "Good evening friends!" "Welcome! Enjoy your stay!" They greeted every guest they came into eye contact with, one of the frog man's eyes met with Makotos, and he walked up to us to make conversation.

"Ahh! Welcome back Makoto! Always refreshing to see your smiling face! Oh! I see you've brought another friend! Will you be accompanying her to a room then?" His comment made me blush. Makoto smiled. "Unfortunately no, not tonight my friend! Were here to deliver an urgent message for the Lord, that is all."

"Oh! How pleasant! I hope your journey was prosperous. Go right ahead." He bowed and gestured into the bathhouse.

"Until next time my friend!" Makoto waved and we went inside the Bathhouse. When we entered I couldn't help but gaze in awe! The walls are covered in beautiful traditional murals, the air was warm and smelled like fragrant bath salts mixed with the scent of delicious food. This is definitely a thriving place of business. There wasn't anywhere to turn without seeing either a guest or an employee. This place was like something from a dream. My mind was overwhelmed by the sheer size of it all, it was absolutely breathtaking.

"Coming little bird?" I heard Makoto say, I was so out of it that surprisingly he had walked about a yard ahead while I lost myself in the intense surroundings. "I'm coming!" I said and sped up to stand by him and stay his pace. "Keep close O.K.?" I nodded and followed him. As he bobbed and weaved past people and changed directions down the hallways in between baths. I felt nervous to see most people were staring.

"Why are they looking at us like that?" I whispered.

"Probably because you look like you just crawled out of a mineshaft." He looked over his shoulder down at me to smile. I glared back. "I'm just kidding! Honestly I don't know, they usually don't stare at me so they must be staring at you for some reason." I tried to ignore their stares while we stepped in front of a large red elevator and waited.

"Where are we going?" I asked

"To see the lord, he's on the top floor probably in his office as always." I nodded again, I'm not sure what to say in a place like this. Such tradional, architectural beauty mixed with the cold awkward stares have left me speechless. Just the workers though, not the guests. Weird.

We stepped into the elevator when it arrived and he turned the red lever. It was silence for most of the ride. Makoto broke the silence.

"Remember, this is a dragon we are dealing with. Their known for being natural born leaders." He said

"What's he like?" I asked, curious.

"Well, I don't know him personally of course, I only see him when I am delivering messages form the Jasmine Palace from time to time. But, I do know some spirits who work here, and what they tell me is he's always quiet. He lurks around the bathhouse from time to time to check on his employees and management to make sure they are doing their job. He's filthy rich, which is to be expected. Dragons have a weakness for anything that glitters like gold. He's spotted mostly during the day rather than night for some reason. He has a tendency to disappear sometimes and nobody really knows why, but that's only on certain occasions."

"How does the bathhouse stay in service if he is gone without notice?" I asked.

"No-one dares to misbehave in his absence because they are afraid of what he will do to them when he gets back." He said.

"Will he hurt us for being late?" I asked a little panicked

The elevator made a 'ding' and we were met by two bronze doors that opened upon our arrival. I don't know if I could ever get used to this whole 'magic' thing. They opened to a wide hallway decorated with large traditional pottery. He led me down the hallway and took a right, then a left down another hallway.

"No way! This isn't the first time I've been here, he knows me. I highly doubt he knows you though, so I think it would be best if you let me do the talking O.K.? No offense."

"Why don't I just wait outside then?" I asked

"Are you kidding? You are extremely accident prone! You're a hazard to yourself and others, there's no way I'm leaving you alone out here to cause hell on earth wandering around this bathhouse."

He stopped in front a huge dark oak wooden door and he turned to me and put a finger to his lips to gesture me to shut up. I nodded and he knocked hard three times. I heard a deep voice on the other side.

"Enter."


	7. Chapter 6: The Dragons Gaze

I could feel a lump stick in my throat, Makoto turned the brass handle and opened the door to an office with a large fireplace. There was a large exotically patterned throw rug in the middle of the floor with a desk on top of it which was covered in papers, pens, and other decorative assortments. A burning wick of incense sat on the desk filling the room with a distance smell of sweet orchids in full bloom. A man sat behind the desk, dressed in a white and black traditional kimono. His long dark hair was tied in a formal ponytail which flowed down his back. The warm glow of the fireplace illuminated the dark room and his handsome chiseled features. Even though he was sitting, his broad shoulders made his posture intimidating. He was too focused on what he was writing and hadn't looked up yet. He looked exactly the way Makoto had described him, a natural born leader, shape-shifter, merciless, mysterious, rich, and ruled with an iron fist. He's dressed for power, a dragon. There's no question about him, and I can't breathe.

"You're late." He said coldly.

Makoto bowed deeply and gestured with his hand that I should too. The room was deathly silent, the only noise was the crackling and popping of the flickering fire.

"My apologies Milord. I was disrupted by some minor inconveniences on the way." Makoto reached into his pack and pulled out a small parchment folded neatly, sealed by a wax stamp with a Jasmine flower pattern in it.

"If they were 'minor' you would not have been almost an entire day behind on…" He looked up at Makoto and immediately noticed me standing next to him causing him to pause mid sentence. He was caught off guard by my presence, his ice blue eyes piercing into my very soul. I gasped with sudden instinctual realization.

"Haku" I whispered under my breathe in disbelief, there was no mistaking him. Did I really just say that?

I can't believe I just let that roll out my mouth! Where did that even come from? It was impossible to hold my tongue when he looked at me with those sterling blue eyes of his. I know him! Yet, it feels like we've only meet in some sort of dream, nothing more… Makoto couldn't believe I said that either, now I have two pairs of eyes staring at me confused, the silence was killing me. Did I say something wrong? Why couldn't I have just kept my mouth shut?! Feeling held in place by the dragons gaze. He looked me up and down slowly, it's making me uncomfortable. Why is he looking at me like that? Did I really just piss him off? Oh god I'm sorry Makoto…

Makoto looked between the dragon and myself repeatedly, trying to make sense of the situation. I peered up at Makoto with pleading eyes to see his questioning glance and shrugged lightly in response.

"I see you have company, will she be sharing a room with you tonight?" he asked. Why does everyone keep asking that?

"Oh not at all milord! She is merely an acquaintance of mine, she has been aiding me in my routes. Nothing more, you see, being a messenger can be quite tiresome and…." Makoto rambled on a nervous rant. The dragons and I never broke our gaze. I'm starting to feel a flurry of mixed emotions, my throat feels tight from building anxiety. I wasn't sure how I should act in this situation. Should I look for the nearest exit to escape? Or should I tell this creep to quit staring at me like I was dinner? I was so overwhelmed that I didn't notice Makoto had already walked to the desk to hand him the message.

"Milord? Are you well?" Makoto asked concerned.

"Yes, you may take your leave. Send the Jasmine Emperor my regards. You and your company are welcome to stay as long as you need to recuperate for the journey back" Makoto bowed once more and turned to head out the same door we came in through. I quickly broke the stare we shared to follow Makoto closely on the way out.

"Wait." The lord said. We both turned to see him stand quickly.

"A moment please?" He held out his hand open towards me, not knowing how to react I looked at Makoto nervously, he looked at me with a blank stare clearly not sure what to do either. "Yes Milord?" He started to walk back into the room.

"Not you" He quickly said, Makoto stopped in his tracks.

"Her."

Really? he wants to talk to me alone? What is this guy thinking? I want to run past Makoto and out the door just to get out of here but my legs are frozen. I looked at Makoto screaming 'help' in my head.

"If you'll excuse us?" Haku held out his arm gesturing for him to leave. Makoto bowed then turned to me and gave a slight wave which I returned. The door clicked behind him and I turned to look at the Dragon Lord for him to make the next move, he sat back down in his large Victorian chair and with a wave of his hand everything on the desk organized itself, papers folded into drawers, pens lined up and stuck themselves back into a holder and decoration moved from the center of the desk to the edges. I don't think I'm ever going to get used to real magic, he did that so effortlessly it was amazing.

"Please, won't you have a seat?" He held his hand out in front of the desk, and a small but comfortable chair appeared out of thin air. Realizing I hadn't moved from the spot since Makoto shut the door I quietly walked over to sit in the chair that was provided.

The room was awkwardly quiet, when I took a leap. "You wanted to talk to me sir?" I asked uneasily.

"I did, why don't you tell me about yourself, what's your name onna?" Oh god not another pet name, is it like a law for anyone who meets me to come up with a pet name? He seems to be trying to lighten the mood. I am pretty tense about the meeting I didn't know my name so I said the first thing that came to my mind.

"Little Bird." I said confidently, looking him in the eye. He shook his head 'no', "your scent has betrayed you, that's not your name." He raised a brow, shit I've been caught. "Well, no it's not, but that's what I'm called." "Never mind what your 'called', I would like to know your real name, you know, the one that was provided to you by your parents?" He asked again, his voice was calm. "My parents?" I repeated. The echo of pigs squealing played in my mind, but I thought nothing of it. That's strange I haven't even considered my parents. If they are out there, they must be worried about me, wondering where I am. Makoto was right, he can read my scent and apparently whether or not I am telling him the complete truth.

"I'm not sure what to tell you sir. I don't remember my real name." I said apologetically while looking down at my hands.

"Really?" He didn't seem very surprised by that answer, which in turn ended up surprising me instead. Did he predict that I wouldn't know my name? His gazed peered into my very soul once more. Strange, I don't feel like I am in danger, he's so familiar.

"Where are you from onna?" Here we go again, another interview that I don't have any answers too. Might as well try to answer them to the best that I can, I don't have anything to hide anyway.

"Well, I woke up in a field a few days ago. Before that I don't recall." I said

"How did you find this bathhouse?" He asked

"I traveled here with Makoto, he found me when I was lost."

"How did you know my name? Did Makoto tell you?"

"No, he's always called you the 'Lord of the Bathhouse"

"How old are you?"

"I guess I'm in my late twenties by the looks of it."

"Are you and Makoto more than just 'good company'?"

"No, we're not. I don't know him that well, we've just met recently. He seems nice enough."

"Hmmm." He hummed contented by the truthfulness in my answers, he thought about my responses for a moment and he turned his chair slightly to stand and look out the large window behind him with his hands behind his back.

"Are you Human?" He said, that was kind of a weird question to ask.

"I don't know, but think something tells me I am."

Now his scent hit me, he smelled like fresh pine and rain. I'm sure Makoto knew that all along since his sense of smell is five times better than mine. It's nice, very soothing.

"Yet, you are unsure?"

"That's correct sir."

He made a small almost unaudiable gasp with a speechless look on his face, wow I didn't think my words were going to affect him so much. His reaction made me nervous, what did he know? He remained silent, obviously in deep though. He peered down to look at the guests arriving on the bridge.

"How you know my name?" He asked quietly, I almost didn't catch his question.

"What do you mean? Don't allot of people know your name?" I asked

"Yes I am well known in these lands, however everyone addresses me as 'Ko-haku', they always have..." He paused for a minute and looked over his shoulder at me.

"Except you." He said sternly.


	8. Chapter 7: We were Free

I stood, realizing that I had unknowingly disrespected his title by calling him a nick name. How can I be so stupid? I can't walk into an office and address highly respected lords by nicknames

"Forgive me sir, it won't happen again!" I bowed showing my respect and sincerity. He looked at me over his should and smiled, that was the first time I've seen him smile sincerely. Warmth glowed through his smile which made my heart melt.

"You're too kind, I take no offense." He said I let go of a deep breath I didn't realize I was holding. "Believe it or not, I wasn't always the head of this bathhouse." He said, I chose to kept quiet before I end up saying something stupid again.

"Let me tell you a story about the last person who called me 'Haku'." He said, I was quietly waiting for his story to begin. " I trust you have time, there isn't somewhere you need to be correct?" he asked and I shook my head 'no'

"She was just a little girl I knew a long time ago. That was shortly before I reclaimed my true name 'Kohaku Nushi'." He stated

"Wait, 'reclaimed'? Your name was gone?" I asked, shit I just interrupted. I couldn't tell if he was angry or not looking at his expression. He continued on.

"Oh yes, in fact it was stolen from me. I was a slave to this bathhouse, a 'henchman' if you would. I was taken in by the previous owner of this bathhouse and enlisted for a job here. I signed my name away on a sealed contract and worked my worth for centuries... Miserable, I was used and tortured endlessly by my masters countless errands. Without my name there was no way of escaping the terrible fate I signed into. Like you I couldn't remember my name, my life started to follow the same endless pattern I so desperately wanted to escape. That is, until one day _she_ came." He trailed off, listening closely he seems to be recalling a sincere moment in his life which meant allot to him. Why tell me all of this if it's so personal? Was he always this passionate about sharing his life story?

"I was also young at the time, yet I remember that day like it was this evening. I was doing my daily walk-through to be sure everything was as it should be before we opened for business the same time I always did. Later I was walking past that bridge, that one there." He pointed outside to the bridge Makoto and I crossed getting here.

"One moment the bridge was clear, the next she was there! I couldn't believe my eyes at first, so I got closer to see if she really was …human." He said

"But wait, I thought humans are rare around here?" I asked a little confused.

"Why yes they are, so rare that they are unwelcomed. I knew she had to leave as immediately because if I found her then my master could find her too. I told her to run, if she didn't make it back through the tunnel she would be spotted. Unfortunately she was too late." He rubbed his eyes, the memories are obviously taking a toll on his physical state.

"What happened to her?" I asked

"She was just a child, vulnerable. She could have been easily snatched by the locals and sold to a whore house, or worse. I pulled a few strings and was able to get her a job here at the bathhouse, it gave her time to save her parents from the slaughter house, you see her parents were..."

"Turned to pigs…" I whispered mostly to myself, but I knew he heard me._ 'Mom, dad, where are you?!'_ I rubbed my temples, the scene in my mind hit me full force. I remember the horror of seeing the huge pigs sitting where my parents were supposed to be seated, dressed in similar clothing I was sick with fear. This was no longer a just little voice in my head, this is a memory. MY memory! I understand why he is telling me this story now, he is testing a theory. Telling me the story about the girl seems to be matching some of my lost memory, that must have been why he was asking me so many questions! To see if I fit the right description. But…I can't be! I don't know him and we have never met before! I I've never been here….have I? No, there's no way he knows who I am.

"The demolition of my river in the human world destroyed my soul. I was told 'apartments' where built over where it used to be"

"The Kohaku River…my shoe." I looked down at the pink shoes I was wearing now, recalling that faithful day I dove into the water after it. Another memory! This is too good to be true, I have memories! Haku seemed to be catching on that I knew where this was going.

"She was my light at the end of the tunnel, everyone despised her, but I was proud to protect her. I watched over her endlessly. I wanted to help her find her way home the way I never could." He went into detail with his story. He turned to look at me and leaned on the side of his desk.

"I wanted to be her savior. Ironically though, in the end she turned out to be mine. She discovered my name, my identity and helped me remember, she freed me..." He walked closer to stand in front of me. "I owe her everything I am, she was what I had been waiting for all those centuries and I didn't even know it. I knew she was special from the first moment I saw her, yet I had no choice but to let her go. I wanted her to stay here, with me. But, I didn't have the heart to force her." He said jokingly and chuckled at his own comment.

_'Promise we will meet again someday?'_

"Ever since that day, I've been waiting for the time that I would have an opportunity to see her again." Haku said sadly.

_'I promise'_

"Oh my god" I whispered and I went into disbelief, I started to break down uncontrollably, my legs became weak, causing me to fall backward into my chair. Partly with relief, and partly because of the intensity of regaining my memory.

"I promised."

The memories flowed in my mind like warm rushing water, Haku, the bathhouse, Yubaba, all of it! My name was Sen! I lived here for weeks working hard to free my parents from the spell that Yubaba cast on them because they pigged out on spirit food! I remember Lin! I remember No-face, Zeniba, and even her son Bo! The intensity of the emotions were completely overwhelming! I remember the stink spirit that turned out to be a god! I remember the giant chunk of coal I threw into the fire! I remember those terrible paper birds that swarmed and cut me open! I remember trying to desperately wake Haku before we fell to our deaths. I remember the medicine I force fed him!

"Chihiro?"

That's me! that's my name! I finally know my name! Oh god it feels so amazing to know my real name again!

I remember free-falling through the clouds over the big blue ocean with Haku, we were so happy we knew who we were at last. We were free, we were invincible.

Uncontrollable tears started to pour out my eyes, when my memories returned. Haku knelt on one knee in front of me and reached out to move a stray hair away from my face to look me in the eye.

"Is it you? Is it really you Chihiro?" I nodded, still sobbing. I looked at him to see his blue eyes looking at me pleadingly. "Please…is it true? After all these years?" He said quietly

"How did you know?" I choked through tears. He smiled big and pulled me into a warm hug. I cried even harder on his shoulder while he rubbed my back calming my sobs. He didn't care that I was ruining his kimono, he just held me tighter.

"I could never forget you Chihiro." He held me tighter. "I thought I'd never see you again…"

"I've missed you." I said. My memories reclaimed and my old friendships given new light, at last I finally feel whole again.

"I've missed you more." He said.


	9. Chapter 8: A Legend

"Is this a dream?" I asked. It felt as if half an hour passed since I came to the bathhouse, but I know it must have been hours. Haku and I talked the night away just enjoying each other's company. For the first time, I feel complete since I woke up in that golden field. It's so nice to have a one-on-one conversation with someone I actually know, it's like therapy I didn't know I needed.

"I guarantee that you are not delusional Chihiro, this is indeed real life." Haku stated calmly while sipping his tea. I'm surprised how long it took for me to remember the last time I was here, you'd think I wouldn't forget signing a contract with a witch. I guess being in the bathhouse wasn't enough to provoke old times, Haku gave me new direction. It's like he picked up all the shattered pieces of my mind and helped me put them all back together.

"How did you know?" I asked him

"I told you, I could never forget you Chihiro." He said

"Well yes, but earlier today I didn't even know who I was, and it's been so long since my last visit to the spirit world. How did you know exactly what to say that would provoke my lost memory?" I asked, Haku took another long sip of his tea. He gave me a cup of my own but, it was forgotten on the coffee table in front of us and had long since gone cold.

"Firstly, you called me 'Haku'. No-one has called me Haku since the moment you guessed which pigs were your parents." I cringed at that reminder, fuck that test. Yubaba designed the test in the form of a trick question, but I followed my heart home in the end.

"Secondly, there's something…different about your aura, in the very essence of your existence. It feels like you are here sitting next to me, yet you are not. It's very strange and confusing to me, but then again you were never normal Chihiro, you are the only person I know that could stick out like a sore thumb by doing nothing." He smiled teasingly, I shrugged it off and smiled back.

"Thirdly, I wasn't the only one who couldn't forget you Chihiro. The wind told me that you had returned to the spirit world, but she never told me where." He stated calmly, sipping his tea, I can't believe my ears.

"Are you serious? The wind told you? How could the wind tell you anything? The wind is just the wind!" I was flabbergasted.

"The wind is an intelligent being Chihiro, it told Yubaba humans came through the tunnel before she could even see them. Don't take it personally, all spirits and purebreds alike can hear the wind without much effort and the wind isn't good at keeping things to itself." I recall the day my parents and I stood infront of the big red tunnel. It felt as if the wind was trying to pull me in with it's force. "Infact, I was going to set out on a search to find you tomorrow morning, but it seems you found me first." He said

"I don't understand though, that's not what I meant. I feel like you knew exactly what to say to jog my memory. How did you do that?" I asked out of sheer innocent curiosity. He set his tea down on a small dish to contemplate his answer for a moment.

"I think I know what you are trying to ask Chihiro, of course as you know I am a dragon. Because of that, I am categorized as a celestial being. From the moment I saw you earlier, I felt something lost on the other side and bound tightly inside your state of mind. Because of my celestrial status I was able to reach past the boundaries and pull back the other part of your divided consciousness with my own." He said. So, in the end the one person I was frightened to see turned out to be the one person I needed the most.

"I'm not sure how everyone here will react to your return, after all you caused quite a stir from your last visit." He took another sip.

"They remember me?" I asked, I hadn't thought about how the bathhouse saw me. At the time I just wanted to save my parents and get the hell out of here.

"Oh yes! Can you imagine a tiny human child suddenly appearing and asking for work, freeing gods, and braving no-faces? you did the unthinkable, you even stood up to Yubaba! Back then no-one would attempt to do such a thing and that includes me." He said, well I never really saw it that way, but when he says it like that I guess that really is what happened. I don't know how long, but judging by how much we have both grown I can see it's been quite some time.

"Many were envious of the confidence you portrayed during your short stay, because they don't possess it themselves." He explained. We moved from the office closer to the fire place where he made a Sofa appear with the wave of his hand. I'm never going to get used to that.

"It was strange enough you're human. Now you're tale is legend." He smiled.

"Really? Me? A legend? I doubt that" I mentally rolled my eyes, yesterday I was a name-less nobody, now I'm some sort of hero? I guess that explains why I was being stared down all the way to this office. "Why is that so hard to believe?" He asked confused, I looked at the crackling fire in front of us. "You're an inspiration to everyone, including me." He admitted

"This is all happening so fast..." I admitted. I decided to change the subject to get my mind off of the chaos that was my life.

"So this office, it's yours?" I asked

"Of course, I am the Lord." He said, kind of sarcastically.

"Right, but wasn't this Yubabas office before?" I looked around the room to confirm my suspicions. Peering over to the door which used to lead to Bo's room, Haku nodded.

"Your just as clever as ever. It was, times have changed since then you know." He said

"I know, but what happened to her?" I dared to ask. Where was Yubaba? How come nobodies mentioned her yet? Haku is the lord of the bathhouse now, does that mean he replaced her?

"When you left I returned to the bathhouse to end my life of slavery. I challenged Yubaba for full rights over the bathhouse."

"That's very bold, but if you had your name back why didn't you just make a run for it? I think you would have made it." I asked

"I guess I could have, but where would I go? My river is long gone, I've lived in the bathhouse for centuries…Yubaba was a heartless woman who benefited from the suffering of others. Not to brag, but I am a dragon after all, when I signed my name away to her theoretically I was the big shiny trophy of her collection. The wise know not to anger a man with a tame dragon in tow, or a woman." He stated, He's acting solemn like it was nothing, but something in my heart tells me it bothered him more than he's showing.

"From what Makoto says about you, it seems you have a heartless reputation around here as well though." I wish I could take that back, I haven't seen Haku for so long I don't know if this was the same little boy I knew a long time ago.

"Oh, does he?" His tone a little darker now, clearly upset.

"Well actually, before we arrive I asked him what you were like, he spoke from the rumors he's heard in the bathhouse." I quickly explained, I don't want to speak ill of Makoto when he's not around. What kind of person would I be if I waited for people to leave the room before I talk shit about them?

"I pay no mind to what others call me, it's a great responsibility to keep the peace in large business like this. I can't be everyone's boss and friend at the same time." He paused, a stern expression on his face.

"As Lord, the best that I can do is try to give them all a life they don't struggle to live. At the same time not let the bathhouse fall to shambles from poor management either. If the bathhouse goes, everyone here would suddenly find themselves homeless." He said, the room remained silent. I didn't realize how much weight he had on his shoulders being a Lord. It sounds like he is trying to be the man in charge and somehow not to be another Yubaba at the same time.

"Can I ask you something?" I said.

"What is it you would like to know?" he asked in reply

"Sometimes…is it too much?" He sipped his tea pondering his answer. He took another sip of his tea then sighed deeply looking into the flickering flames of the fire.

"This bathhouse is the only home I know." Sorrow flowed with his words. I could see that there was a piece of his soul that wished that sentence wasn't true. We left it at that.

"So Chihiro, now that you have some recollection of your life. Do you remember anything about your arrival?" He asked. I tried to remember, but the more I tried the more confused I became.

"Am I dead?" I asked, just curious.

"Do you remember dying?" He quickly asked

"I remember anything at all."

"Yet you remember your last visit?" he asked

"I do, but why do I only remember the spirit world, why not the human world?"

"Well for one you cannot be dead, if you were dead you would remember how you died. Human souls that don't remember their deaths stay attached to the human world and become…what do you call them? 'Ghosts' I think?"

"I'm not a ghost, I know I'm alive!"

"Well it couldn't have been through the tunnel again, it's been long since torn down ."

"What?! Why?"

"It was destroyed by locals, many suspect because it was seen as a threat to our world."

"Why would it be a threat?" I asked

"Because it gives humans access to our world, therefore it was dangerous to this world and had to be permanently removed. You proved that movement with your last visit, it's a shame not many spirits are welcoming to humans. You don't know how lucky you were last time…"

"I was lucky you were there Haku. I really couldn't have done it without you." I said honestly, he helped me from the start and didn't think twice. I was pretty lucky wasn't I?

"You give me too much credit Chihiro, without you I would still be cleaning up after Yubaba's messes." Haku said. He smiled wide at me and I smiled back. Funny how we keep running into each other like this.

"Now then, why don't I show you to your room? You seem overdue for some rest." He got up and set his tea on the table, holding out a hand for me to use as leverage.

"I don't have to sleep in the womens lounge again do I?" I asked, Haku smiled at my question.

"Not at all, tonight you are a guest." He said. He led me out the door and down the hall.

"Where's Makoto?" I asked

"Probably in his guest room as well, he occupies the same room every time he delivers messages to the bathhouse." He said, the halls were quiet and uninhabited. It appears that this section of the building is reserved for mostly staff. He eventually came upon a door and stood aside to let me step ahead of him.

"Well, this is it. Since there is no way of telling how you got here and how long you will be staying. if you wish, this can be your room for the duration of your visit." He said, I nodded showing I understood. He began to walk away and I was about to turn the handle to enter when Haku turned back around.

"Chihiro, would you care to have a morning meal with me tomorrow?" he asked

"Um, yeah sure I would like that." I said hesitant.

"Excellent, I will come by to check on you tomorrow. Goodnight Chihiro…"

"Goodnight Haku." I said and walked into the room.

* * *

><p>AN: Hello again! Apparently there's a new Disney movie coming out called "TommarowLand" and it starts out as a girl standing in a wheat feild...Just like "What Was Lost" lol I swear to god I wrote the Chapter before the trailer came out! I do not mean to copy Disney!

Thank you all for reading, its been a while since the chaos of the holidays and all. Till next time!

Happy 2015 Everyone!


End file.
